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GCSE success stories: Students make the grade

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland thousands of pupils are celebrating and commiserating with each other after receiving their results for their GCSE exams.

For the 23rd year in a row, GCSE pass rates have shown an increase. This year 98.7% of exam entries achieved a pass grade.

Among them were high-achieving children, famous athletes and those who had a number of obstacles standing in their way as they prepared to take their exams.

Maths whizz-kid: Oscar Selby

Oscar Selby enjoys working with numbers

The seven-year-old not only gained an A* in his maths GCSE but managed to raise thousands of pounds for charity while studying for it.

Oscar is believed to be the youngest to score the top grade in a GCSE exam but said although he found it “hard work”, he enjoyed the experience.

The primary school pupil from Epsom in Surrey spent nine months preparing for the exam and said he answered every single question.

He plans to now focus his energies on learning more about science.

Seven-year-old is maths whizz-kid

Olympic diver: Tom Daley

Tom Daley was among several athletes receiving their results on Tuesday

Olympic teenage diver Tom Daley was in Singapore taking part in the Youth Olympic Games when he found out his results.

The 16-year-old was said to be “very happy” with his five A* and two As.

He gained A*s in Spanish, art and design and additional science and an A in English literature.

He switched schools to Plymouth College in Devon just before he sat his first GCSE in June last year because he wanted a “normal school life”.

Then he gained an A in science and A*s in maths and English language.

Teenage carer: Leora Taratula-Lyons

Leora Taratula-Lyons had an immense workload to deal with during revision time

Teenager Leora Taratula-Lyons said she was “overwhelmed and shocked” at her nine A*s at GCSE.

The 16-year-old combined her studies with her caring duties for her mother, Fiona Taratula, 45 and younger sister Monique, 11.

Her mother was recovering after complications from eye surgery, while Monique needed extra help after being diagnosed with ME two years ago.

Mrs Taratula proudly said: “For two months during her mock exams I was housebound so Leora looked after me and did all the washing, cooking and cleaning and picked her sister up from school.”

Student ‘carer’ gets 9 A* GCSEs

Paralympian: Jessica Harper

Jessica Harper is a potential Paralympic champion

Jessica Harper, 16, combined revision with training for the 2012 Paralympics in her home city of London.

The Putney High School pupil achieved eight A* grades and two As.

The teenager, who has been identified by British Disability Swimming as a potential champion, said she was “really pleased” with her A* grades for English language, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, French and Spanish.

She also gained A grades for mathematics and English literature.

She said French was one of her strongest subjects and she hoped her language skills would be useful during the upcoming Paralympics.

Twin ambitions: Krishan and Jai Patel

Krishan hopes to study law at university, Jai wants to study science

Oxford twins Krishan and Jai-hin Patel have gained 20 A* GCSEs between them.

The 16-year-olds said they had worked “really hard” for their grades and are planning to stay at Magdalen College School to study five A-Levels each.

Krishan studied English, English literature, maths, biology, chemistry, physics, French, history, Latin and Spanish.

His brother took the same exams except he took geography instead of Spanish.

Krishan, who wants to be a lawyer said: “I was so happy, I wasn’t expecting the full 10 so it was amazing for both of us.

“We worked really hard so it was good that it paid off in a clean sweep.”

Twins scoop 20 A*s between them

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

GCSE pupils score record results

Boys from Pimlico Academy celebrate GCSE results

More than half a million pupils are getting results

Pupils have achieved another GCSE record, with almost seven out of 10 entries (69.1%) being awarded a C grade or above.

Results published on Thursday show 22.6% of exams sat in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded an A* or an A, up from 21.6% last year.

More pupils took single sciences, but some languages continued to decline.

There has also been a big rise in the number of pupils sitting English and maths GCSEs a year early.

More than one in 10 pupils sits maths at age 15 or younger – up 37% on last year – and just under a tenth sit English early, up by 50% on 2009.

It comes after the previous Labour government scrapped national tests at age 14 or Key Stage 3.

This has allowed to some schools and pupils to move on to GCSEs in these subjects a year early, with many going on to sit AS levels (the first part of A-levels) a year early too.

But the new trend will fuel the argument over whether GCSEs are getting easier.

And it may be reflected in the fact that overall, the proportion of entries getting A*-C grades is up again, by two percentage points on last year from 67.1% to 69.1% – the highest ever.

The pass rate rose for the 23rd year in a row, this year to 98.7% of entries.

ACROSS THE UKNorthern Ireland: A*-A: 27.5% (27.1%); A*-C: 76.3% (75.1%)England: A*-A: 22.6% (21.5%); A*-C: 69.0% (66.9%)Wales: A*-A: 19.2% (18.9%); A*-C: 66.4% (65.5.1%)(2009 figures shown in brackets)NI GCSE students score top marks Wales lags in best GCSE results

Around the nations, pupils in Northern Ireland did best with 76.3% of entries gaining an A* to C, up from 75.1% last year.

In England 69% of entries netted A* to C grades, up from 66.9%. In Wales 66.4% of entries were awarded an A* to C, up from 65.%% in 2009.

Across the subjects there have been huge rises in the numbers of science GCSEs sat, but further falls in some modern languages.

In individual science GCSEs, biology entries are up 28.3%, chemistry up 32.2% and physics up by 32.1%.

But attainment dropped slightly in all three sciences at A* and A grades, although a higher percentage up pupils scored A* – C passes.

Entries in French and German are down by 5.9% and 4.5% respectively.

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Students from Cranbourne College nervously opened their results live on BBC Breakfast

This decline in modern languages continues a trend since the previous government decided the subject would no longer be compulsory at the age of 14.

However, French is still the most popular choice of languages with 177,618 students taking the exam this year.

But there are big rises in the number of pupils taking Portuguese, Chinese and Polish.

Andrew Hall, chief executive of the AQA exam board, said it was “a great day for science but a sad day for languages”.

Boys continued to lag behind girls in most subjects, a trend of more than two decades, with the gap widening slightly between the genders at the top grades this year.

image showing GCSE grades from 1988 to 2010

Details of this year’s GCSE attainment, by subject and by gender

Choose a qualification typeFull course GCSEShort course GCSEApplied GCSE SingleApplied GCSE Double

Choose a subject

Full course GCSE subjects: Art Business Studies Business and Communication Systems Classical Subjects Design & Technology Drama Economics English English Literature French Geography German History Home Economics Humanities Information and Communication Technology Irish Mathematics Mathematics (Additional) Media / Film / TV Studies Music Performing / Expressive Arts Physical Education Religious Studies Science Additional Science Biology Chemistry Physics Science Sgl Award (CCEA only) Science Dbl Award (CCEA only) Spanish Statistics Welsh: First Language Welsh: Second Language Welsh Literature Other Modern Languages Other Sciences Social Science Subjects Other Technology All other Subjects All Subjects

Short course GCSE subjects: Art Business Studies Citizenship Studies Classical subjects Design & Technology Economics English English Literature French Geography German History Information and Communication Technology Physical Education Religious Studies Spanish Welsh: Second Language Other Modern Languages Social Science Subjects All Subjects

Applied GCSE Single subjects: Applied Performing Arts Construction Financial Services Hospitality Journalism Learning for Life and Work Media Physical Education All Subjects

Applied GCSE Double subjects: Applied Art & Design Applied Business Applied Information and Communication Technology Applied Performing Arts Applied Science Construction Engineering Health & Social Care Hospitality Leisure & Tourism Media Manufacturing Physical Education All Subjects

But boys maintained the edge they gained at A* and A in maths, and A in physics, last year and held their lead in economics and additional maths.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb congratulated pupils, but said “more needs to be done to close the attainment gap between those from the poorest and wealthiest backgrounds”.

The results come amid increased competition for college places and in the jobs market, as well as warnings about grade inflation.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers warned that the exam system was in “disarray” and that even those who achieved “a string of A*s” were not well served by GCSEs.

GCSE grades have risen almost continually since the first results for the exams in 1988.

Professor Alan Smithers, an education expert at Buckingham University, said exam questions had become very predictable and that there was competition between exam boards to improve the pass rates.

Also, he said, state schools were under pressure to maximise passes for league tables and so tend to enter pupils for subjects in which they are likely to get good grades.

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Schools Minister Nick Gibb insists the GCSE exams have not become easier

But chief executive of exams regulator Ofqual, Isabel Nisbet, said the GCSE was “a well-respected qualification recognised by employers and educational institutions”.

“Candidates, employers, schools and colleges can have confidence that these results are a fair record of the students’ achievements and abilities,” she added.

Shadow Education Secretary Ed Balls said claims that exams had got easier were “complete and utter nonsense” and said students were working harder and being better taught than in the past.

The NASUWT teaching union said despite pupils scoring the best ever results, they faced the worst ever outcomes because of the government’s austerity measures.

General secretary Chris Keates said: “The coalition government must guarantee that all 16-18 year olds are guaranteed a place in education or training. This is the only way to avoid another lost generation of young people.”

Mr Gibb also said anyone who had achieved their GCSEs would have a place at sixth form or college.

This was because the coalition government was continuing, for this year, the previous government’s policy of guaranteeing young people a place in education or training at 16.

More than half a million pupils are getting their results

The University and College Union warned of a qualifications “domino effect” from this year’s unprecedented pressure on university places.

GCSE students were “most likely to be pushed out” as they tried to compete with students with A-levels for spaces on further education college courses, it warned.

Students aged 15 and 16 in Scotland take standard grade exams, and received their results in early August. The pass rate was similar to the previous year.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Six steps to survival for Chile miners

One of the trapped miners, Mario Gomez, 63, wrote a letter to his wife

The first supplies have reached the 33 miners trapped 2,300ft (700m) underground in a collapsed mine in Chile. With an estimated four months before they are rescued, what are the key challenges they face?

After the elation of learning they are alive comes the agony of waiting.

Seventeen days after the San Jose copper and gold mine collapsed, the news that all 33 men trapped inside are still alive was greeted with celebrations more than 2,000ft above them.

But their loved ones will probably have to wait until Christmas to see them again, because it will take that long to bore a new hole wide enough to pull them through.

Glucose, rehydration tablets, oxygen and medicine have made their way down from the surface through an 8cm lifeline and into the miners’ refuge, which is thought to be about 50 square metres, although some reports say it could be larger.

Trapped miners elsewhere in the world have had to wait to be rescued but very rarely, if ever, for this long. So what are some of the key challenges facing the men in the long months ahead?

Having contact with loved ones

These men have spent 17 days thinking perpetually of those whom they love and fearing they will never see them again, says Dr James Thompson, a senior psychology lecturer at University College London and an expert in trauma.

This forms a tremendous emotional burden for people to carry, so finally being able to say to loved ones “I’m alive” will be a great release, he says.

“I understand they’re going to put a telephone line down there so people can have private communication with their families. This is mostly to the good but also to the bad, because it will be intensely emotional and may sometimes make things very hard to bear.”

It’s important those above ground advise loved ones about what they should say, says Dr Thompson. It should all be resolutely focused on their release and the positive – so talk about the kids doing their homework, for example – and news about family bereavements or illnesses might be better undisclosed.

Rescue updates should be managed in the same way, so if there is a setback and a drill breaks, then only tell the miners about it after it has been fixed.

Enduring the heat

Dave Feickert, a New Zealand mining expert who is advising the Chinese government on improving health and safety, believes the physical challenges that would prove daunting to most people – the cramped conditions, the lack of daylight, the discomfort – will be taken in the stride of miners used to such harsh conditions.

However, one aspect of their confinement he expects to trouble them is the sheer heat they will endure while trapped so far below ground.

Rescuers will need to carefully manage supplies and information

Estimates suggest the men will face temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees Celsius (90 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), causing great discomfort, sapping their energy and potentially raising tensions among the group.

He suggests it will be important for the crew at ground level to assess whether the heat is dry or humid and try to arrange suitable ventilation.

“The deeper you get, the hotter it becomes,” Mr Feickert says. “They’ll be used to working in hot conditions, but not for that period of time. It’s not going to be very comfortable.”

Normally, in such temperatures, an adult would have to drink around four litres of water a day, says Dr Alan Richardson, a lecturer in exercise physiology at Brighton University. It may be difficult to keep them supplied with such a volume.

“If they don’t get enough hydration they’re going to lose weight through fluid loss,” he says. “The low level of oxygen is going to have the same effect.”

Keeping active

Although their physical fitness will initially be a physical and psychological advantage, it will not take long for this to deteriorate, says Dr Richardson.

“The main issue they are going to have is muscle wastage by not being able to move as much as they can in everyday life. When they come out, it’s going to be like coming off a space flight.”

Dr Richardson suggests they should try to do simple isometric exercises – static resistance movements against the wall to work the muscles. However, it is virtually inevitable they will lose tone, sapping them of energy and making them more lethargic.

In one sense, he says, this could have a positive side-effect, helping them sleep. But Mr Feickert says it will be psychologically very important for them to stay active.

“These are very fit guys who are used to a lot of physical activity, if they’re suddenly not doing anything they’re going to get depressed,” he says.

Identifying leaders and allocating tasks

To counteract this boredom, Mr Feickert believes the miners need to organise themselves rotas for performing tasks and chores – everything from clearing rubble that comes through the shaft to cleaning.

“Start Quote

They need to have a focus which is practical and somewhat future-orientated”

End QuoteDr James ThompsonTrauma expert

“Even if it’s work that isn’t particularly useful, it’s important to morale that they’re doing something, plus it takes their mind off being trapped underground.”

The ethos of mining and the risks that accompany the profession makes them a self-selecting group better equipped to endure this, says Dr Thompson. And there will probably be natural leaders among the group who can provide “good, optimism-based leadership”.

Tasks are important to break up the boredom and create routines, but should also have a practical use where possible. These could include making latrines, requesting items from above such as antiseptic for their hands, washing and disinfecting, and organising a rota for contact with families.

Turning lights on during the day and off at night can help reinforce this cycle.

“They need to have a focus which is practical and somewhat future-orientated.”

Keeping the truth from them

The miners have not been told how long they are going to have to wait and Dr Thompson says this is wise in these early stages.

Stress can become intolerable when it appears to be endless, he says, and for the miners there is no safety signal to give, no ending in sight.

“They’re going to ask ‘how long?’ and one way I would go about it is to say ‘we don’t know that yet but we’re going to tell you where we are, this is what we are trying to do. This is the drill that is being brought in.'”

One reason why so many people recover mentally from a car crash is that it is over so quickly, says Dr Thompson. Sending the miners photos of the machine the rescuers are using to get them out would be one way of lifting their spirits as the wait goes on and on.

Avoiding infections

With so many miners in such a confined space, guarding against injury and ill-health will be paramount. But according to Mike Tipton, professor of applied and human physiology at the University of Portsmouth, maintaining sanitary conditions will be a difficult task.

As well as setting up and maintaining a sanitary system, there are other considerations, like having enough light to prevent knocking over a latrine and increasing health risks.

“Long-term survival will depend on the avoidance of infection and injury, sanitation will be an important factor in this regard and require some organisation,” he says.

“If you’ve got 33 miners down there for 120 days, that’s a lot of human waste you’ve got to manage and deal with.”

What is more, there is little way of predicting whether further movements of rock pose a risk to the men.

“You also have the risk of further collapses and one of the miners getting hurt,” says Prof Tipton.

“If someone is injured or gets sick they can send down medication, but what if it doesn’t work? There aren’t likely to be many paramedics among 33 miners.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘One in four’ students unplaced

Some 46,000 students were placed on courses through clearing last year

More than a quarter of UK university applicants are still without a place on a degree course, according to the latest figures.

The university admissions service, Ucas, says up to 187,000 candidates are chasing a falling number of unfilled places.

This means 46,358 more people than last year were in the same position.

With record results and a cap on university places, competition is said to be very tough this year.

Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook warned that this year was likely to be the most difficult year for admissions for a decade. A record 675,465 students have applied to university this year.

Ms Curnock Cook predicted that at least 150,000 of these candidates would miss out.

Although there are still a good spread of courses with places available through clearing, it is expected there will be significantly fewer than the 47,600 who found places through the system last year.

There are no figures available for the exact number of course places on offer.

But Ms Curnock Cook also warned that a growing number of candidates, some 60,000, were rejecting offers and even withdrawing from the system.

She said many with good A-level grades would withdraw from the system with a view to re-applying next year.

The latest figures are published after the universities’ secretary, David Willetts, suggested admissions tutors should work harder to ensure they were identifying the bright pupils from poorer homes.

It follows revelation that pupils from independent schools gained the same proportion, 30%, of A* grades, as comprehensive pupils, despite producing only a third as many entries.

This prompted concern that those from poorer backgrounds could be first to lose out as the crunch on university places takes effect.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Willetts backed a scheme at King’s College, London, in which state school pupils are admitted to medicine courses with lower grades than other applicants.

In this scheme, they are given an extra catch-up year to ensure they are able to keep up with their peers.

Universities admissions tutors regularly make lower conditional offers to pupils from more challenging backgrounds than those from independent schools.

They have been encouraged to make use of wider information on the candidates’ backgrounds as part of their attempts to admit pupils from a wider range of social groups.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of vice-chancellors’ representative body Universities UK, said admissions decisions were already based on a broad range of criteria.

“A-level grades and school performance are the primary methods for assessing potential, but so are a host of other factors including the students’ personal statement, the report from their schools and information about their school background.”

But she added that recent figures showed improvements had been made in entry to higher education for disadvantaged young people.

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading universities, said university candidates’ academic success was only part of a broader picture considered by admission tutors.

“Some universities run special schemes which provide an alternative entry routes to leading universities for students who do not have conventional qualifications but who have demonstrated real potential in interviews and tests.

“We are pleased to see David Willetts recognise one of these successful schemes – the Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP) at Kings [2] – which gives non-traditional but talented students an additional year to ‘catch-up’ with other medical students.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.